Shades of Grey
by Angelswrath
Summary: Shades of Gray is a series of short stories that try to capture the emotions behind some of the more complicated decisions in the series. They will always refer to a scene in the anime, and will probably focus on the characters that don't have a defined g
1. A Fallen Angel

**A Fallen Angel**

The abyss beneath them had opened in a flash, but seemed content to devour them slowly. She watched in stoic silence as the yawning chasm grew even wider, as the rush of scalding hot wind brushed against her cool skin.

She didn't experience the all consuming fear that she'd encountered the first time.

The panic of uncertainty. The dread of the unknown. The regret of precious things lost forever.

She'd been able to reclaim only one.

He stood before her even now. The long silver hair she'd secretly adored whipping around his beautiful face. Dazed amber eyes stared back into her own, and she couldn't help but think of all that had been stolen from her.

Stolen from them.

_Shouldn't I remain to exact my revenge on Naraku?_

The glare of her captive's accusing eyes caused her to shake her head in denial. The emotion in the glassy orbs haunted her. _So familiar. _ If she remained then the only thing she had left would be snatched away.

_The only thing she'd ever had. . ._

She stroked his cheek slowly, exhibiting an emotion she hadn't shown in decades. _It wouldn't be long now._

They'd been to hell and back together when alive, it only made sense that it remain the same in death. 

She allowed her eyes to close, the energy whipping her raven tresses into a frenzy. _Damnit, there it was again. _

_That voice! _

She clung to consciousness almost as tightly as she clutched the red haori before her.

_How dare she! _

_How dare she call out to him as if she owned him. As if he were her's! As if he loved._

Movement beneath her fingertips caused her to gasp in shock. _Impossible!_

The boy blinked rapidly, dark lashes fluttering as he stared around him in confusion. His gaze had locked onto something behind her. _More specifically someone._

She willed him to stay with every fiber of her being. Actually letting him see the raw emotion in her eyes. . .

A strangled cry escaped her as the last thing she had left jerked itself from her cold fingers! _Inuyasha?_ Choking on a heart wrenching sob the miko let the energy around her dissipate.

She turned her back on her love. Could not watch him speak to the girl who in essence was everything she was. _ And everything she was not._

She'd been too late. She'd lost him long ago. _Fifty years ago apparantly._ The despair threatened to overwhelm her. _There was nothing left. . . well that wasn't quite true. _

She dredged up her last surviving emotion and erected her strongest barrier around it as she disappeared into the darkness of the night. Kikyou vowed to protect it until the end.

Better than she'd ever protected the fated jewel.

And if in the end her hate caused her death as well, at least this time she would not be alone.

_Author's Note_

_Feedback would be appreciated. An idea for a series of drabbles that explained the emotions behind some of the seemingly evil decisions of some of the characters came to me at about 3 in the morning. Hence Shades of Grey. I'm making my longwinded self stay under 500 words per piece. 465 words not bad lol. Never tried anything like it before. Hope you guys like it:)_

_ Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing em. _


	2. A Momentary Weakness

**A Momentary Weakness**

Amber eyes glared in resentment at the scene before him. Never in his life had he yielded and he would not now. This illogical line of thinking would end, and he would extract his revenge! Waves of pain coursed down his side but agony failed to register upon the stoic youkai's face. Traitorous eyes returned to the unavoidable display. The pain was bearable now.

She'd witnessed the moment he'd given into its hold.

_An infinitesimal cringe had flickered over his face, but was only discernable by someone who'd been watching for it._

Someone who'd memorized his every feature. Anticipated his every breath.

Someone like the foolish creature that was still attempting to peer at him through the inadequate concealment of the bushes.

The insignificant humans with their terrified faces and irritating screams. Worthless. Surrendering to barely suppressed rage, his vision flooded crimson, and he released a growl that would have sent a taijiya running. His eyes narrowed in amusement when the inevitable scream did not materialize.

The shy hazel eyes peeking out at him intrigued him, and her gentle smile unnerved him slightly.

Didn't she realize that he could kill her? Pain blurred his vision.

Didn't she realize. . .

Ignoring the irritating pulse at his side, he concentrated on the stench that was overpowering his sensitive senses. The potent aroma of fresh blood coupled with the nauseating scent of slobbering wolves was too much to take.

_The smell woke him._

His eyes darting to the darkening sky. Dusk? 

He'd fallen asleep? Impossible!

And what the hell was that god-awful smell?!

Abused nostrils located the pile of cooked fish next to his blood soaked sleeve. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?

She was here.

Those eyes again.

Her little kimono slightly bloody this time. He could already see the bruises appearing on her delicate skin.

Attacked, yet her eyes were miraculously the same. No anger clouded the innocence that lurked there.

She'd brought him grain! Did he resemble a pet?!

He intended to dismiss her but his mouth rebelled. Don't speak! Why encourage it?

Her silence astounded him. A quiet human. A novel concept.

With one last glance at her impossibly pure gaze he felt his own eyes close. 

The eyes haunted him.

Those eyes filled with. . . An emotion he could not fathom. Something he didn't understand. 

Eyes now dark as the depths of hell, peering up from the girl's horrified face. Stained little kimono ripped from her small frame.

_So fragile._

Why hadn't she fled for safety? Why run to him?

Had she thought he would protect her?

_Not likely._

He gazed into her wide eyed stare and shook his head. Self preservation hadn't been her motive. 

_The little fool had thought to protect him._

This little human with eyes like a double-edged sword had witnessed his first moment of weakness.

Growling low in resignation, Sesshoumaru unsheathed a pulsing Tenseiga from its scabbard.

He vowed that Kami was about to witness his last.

_ Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing em. _


	3. A Shadow's Reflection

**A Shadow's Reflection**

Thump Thump

Thump Thump

_There it was again. That infernal noise. _

The rhythmic sound was as soft as a whisper, but to the girl's sensitive ears the breath of noise seemed to reverberate throughout the entire chamber. Her fathomless black eyes flickered aimlessly as a mild paranoia threatened to overtake her calm resolve.

The quivering figure curled into an even tighter ball inside the small alcove burrowed within the stone, and refused to acknowledge the damning sound that seemed to accelerate the more she concentrated on it.

A lone flicker of waning sunlight invaded the darkness and lit upon her slowly. She cringed away from the lure of its warmth, the momentary flash illuminating her pale skin. Empty eyes fluttered shut in concentration as she ignored her name floating ominously upon the air.

Thump Thump

Thump Thump

_Go away! What did it mean?_

Her tattered kimono hung limply over her shoulders as she recalled the moment her blind obedience had faltered.

A frenzied Hakudoushi had given in to his bloodlust again. The massacre of the nearby village had been swift and without mercy. _Though she'd have no way to recognize the later if it had not._ The demon gripped with an insanity that she could never understand had wielded his blade as though it were harmless. As though with every swing her was not ending someone's existence.

Carelessly heaving the thing to and fro he had barely spared her a glance when the weapon had snagged the fabric of her kimono and practically sliced it clean off her shoulders.

She had not noticed it then, dodging the reckless demon's swings had been her main priority. But later along the banks of the river she'd attempted to right her disheveled clothing and had taken a long look at her distorted reflection in the blood soaked waters.

A lifetime of staring at the reflections of others ironically she'd never once took in her own.

Her widening gaze had stared for several disbelieving seconds before yanking the clothing down to confirm what she had somehow known long ago.

Thump Thump

Thump Thump

The pale skin of her unblemished back greeted her. Taunted her with its unwavering truth. Delicate fingers trailed over the cool glass clutched to her heaving chest as she struggled to feel something. _Anything!_ Her time for answers was drawing short as her name reached her ears a second time.

Peering into the pane proved futile as the many faces of souls taken flicker across its surface. Lost forever for the sheer pleasure of the taking.

_Wait!_

She willed the barrage of pictures to stop as the image she wanted floated over the shiny surface. A small girl with a smile that could pierce the deepest dark stared back at her. Taking in the pale glossy hair tucked neatly behind petite youkai ears she could not help but stare as her gaze met the mischievous eyes of the trapped girl.

Familiar deep dark orbs stared back at her, but instead of the lifeless gaze she expected, these eyes glowed with promise, as if they held a secret that only she knew.

The pieces fell together of their own volition. Her scarless back, her inability to understand Hakudoushi's passion and Kagura's defiance, the perverse satisfaction Naraku seemed to get when looking at her, and the thundering noise that tortured her even now.

Thump Thump

Thump Thump

"Kanna!"

The priceless mirror slipped from her numb fingertips as Kagura landed in front of her, her growing irritation apparent. "Didn't you hear me calling you?" she demanded, magenta eyes flashing from the obvious inconvenience.

Kanna ignored the question instead focusing on the emotions the wind witch effortlessly exuded, and attempted to answer back in what she was sure would be an accurate imitation.

"I did not."

The words fell empty from her lips, the characteristic monotone a carbon copy of the last words she had spoken. _And the words before that. . ._

Kagura lifted the discarded mirror to her own gaze, inspecting it critically, then shoved it at the younger youkai in exasperation. "Naraku wants you."

_Naraku wants you. _The words echoed mockingly through her subconscious. _Naraku wants me? Naraku has me. The only part that mattered anyway._

Kagura spun on her heel, magnificent kimono flaring out behind her. Kanna followed docilely along in her footsteps. Silently berating the beautiful youkai ahead of her. _Kagura thought that she had been denied her freedom because Naraku possessed his incarnation's hearts. She knew nothing of imprisonment! _

The thumping continued insistent in her ears with each footfall, and Kanna pulled her flawless prize against herself possessively.

_Only Naraku could be so twisted as to suck away a girl's soul and allow her to carry it with her none the wiser, _she thought, unable to summon even a flicker of desire for vengeance.

Thump Thump

Thump Thump

Lifeless eyes watched as Kagura took to the air, and she continued on silently. _Endlessly._ Allowing her shuffling footsteps to match the tempo of her traitorous beating heart.

_ Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing em. _


	4. A Youkai's Claim

**A Youkai's Claim**

The resounding crack echoed loudly in his sensitive ears, and the silence that followed the surprising sound was deafening. Electric blue eyes blinked in mild confusion, as the youkai raised a clawed hand to his stinging cheek in complete disbelief.

Shocked gasps surrounded him and he felt more than heard the others backing away to make room for his imminent retaliation. _Had she just. . . _His eyes skipped over the cringing crowd, searching for confirmation, and found it immediately in the faces of his astonished comrades.

Surprise slowly faded into blinding rage as the truth of his own words sank in.

_She had! The bitch had just slapped him! _

A momentary pulse in his youki was the only warning before his hand snaked out and took hold of the girl by her indecently small garment. Snatching her to him with the speed he was known for, he watched with poorly veiled interest as the girl's midnight black hair settled around her shoulders.

_She had struck him. A ningen had struck him! She deserved to be punished! She deserved to be an example to the others! She. . . She was looking at him. _

He shuddered involuntarily as her cobalt eyes hidden beneath smoky lashes raised themselves to his. The surge of primal attraction shocked him, as he had never thought of humans as anything but dinner. But as her breath expelled heavily from her rose tinted lips he felt a moment of heart gripping despair at memories of countless villages burned.

_Had they all contained creatures like this?! _

The look of complete indignation and the fire in her eyes that leapt to attack him amused him immensely. It burned furiously melting a part of his soul that he hadn't been sure was there until that very moment. His grip tightened reflexively as the pure smell of her assaulted all of his senses simultaneously.

Breathing in the aroma was borderline intoxicating and he watched with an arrogant smirk as her aura pulsed in blatant rebellion. Her glare pierced his cocky facade and he decided that he rather liked her show of spirit.

She was speaking again he realized, though he didn't hear the words. _Something about someone coming for her? _

Smile widening at her apparent irritation at his inattention he searched those hypnotizing eyes again for the fear that should by all rights be there. Would be there if she'd been any other human girl. _Nothing. _The girl was fearless._ At least when riled._ But that was more than enough for him.

The more scathing comments she snapped at him the more his body heated with uncharacteristic desire. Pulling her closer, his decision made, the girl in his arms finally quieted abruptly.

_Apparently the girl could sense more than just Shikon shards,_ he thought wryly, as her expression changed from utter wrath to embarrassment at her own physical awareness. The blush that rose swiftly over her cheeks did little to deter him. The innocent gesture only strengthened his building attraction to the mysterious creature.

His unfocused mind fumbled for the words to declare what he felt. _He wanted them to be perfect. He wanted them to convey the novel emotion she stirred within him. He wanted. . . well he wanted her. _

"You are my woman," Kouga announced, secretly proud that he'd stunned the unflappable girl into silence. Her struggles ceased as her eyes widened considerably taking in the youkai and his unexpected words. The statement was merely a formality as the Prince of Wolves had never asked for anything in the centuries of his existence.

He had hoped to inspire the same burning emotions that were currently spreading through him. But the human known as Kagome just continued to look bewildered and overwhelmed. _No matter._ She would learn to return his affection. The shards she would help him collect would make him invincible and no girl in her right mind, human or youkai, would be able to resist that.

Reaching for his prize he was shocked into hesitation as her beautiful head snapped up and she gave him the look of absolute dedication he had longed for. Her eyes softened and the smile that graced her face could only be described as radiant. The aura he couldn't help but admire now glowed with anticipation and promise.

The change in her was radical, though the wolf demon had no idea what had triggered the shift. She'd obviously had a change of heart. _Who was he to question her motives? Who was he to demand an explanation? _

"Inuyasha," his traitorous vision breathed happily.

_Who was he to. . . WHO THE HELL WAS INUYASHA?! _

His normally superb senses had been dulled by his fixation on the girl. With closer inspection he realized the look that he had wistfully believed had been intended for him was in fact being aimed slightly over his shoulder. He vaguely recalled her threats of someone coming to "rescue" her as he turned his attention to the furious red garbed youkai atop the cliff.

The silver haired boy's stance exuded defiance and his amber eyes screamed "Fuck you!", as Kouga growled low in his throat in bitter rage. The boy proceeded to yell at Kagome, whose face betrayed none of the longing he had glimpsed there.

As the couple argued rather loudly Kouga took a long sniff to identify his adversary.

_Dog demon. Great. _

A more detailed analysis only caused him to groan inwardly. _Hanyou. Even better._

The wolf demon listened disinterestedly as "Inuyasha" bellowed his annoyance to the girl below. His show of temper didn't fool him, and he knew the boy was aware of it as his eyes flicked to him momentarily and narrowed.

Kouga found a kindred spirit and a mortal enemy in the same moment.

He recognized the look on the dog demon's face. It was the same one that had been on his face since he'd encountered the girl standing beside him. It reassured him slightly to know that he was not the only youkai ensnared within the lovely miko's spell.

But that was where the bond ended.

He had declared the girl his in front of his pack, and he wasn't about to back down to some loudmouthed hanyou with an oversized sword. He turned his eyes back to the object of his desire, smirking as she fidgeted beneath his direct gaze.

He wished for her to look at him as she had the mutt a few moments before, but understood when she did not. His Kagome was nothing but loyal. Her flickering gaze and mild fascination would do for now.

_One day she would come to her senses._

_Until then_, he thought, pulling the surprised girl into his arms laughing inwardly at the audible growl that emitted from behind him, _he would torment the one who currently held her wayward heart._

_ Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing em. _


	5. A Distant Memory

**A Distant Memory**

Desire could be a dangerous thing.

Especially when forcibly repressed by an individual such as he. It could produce simply disastrous circumstances. A seemingly innocent thing could be warped until it became completely unrecognizable. Twisted in upon itself until all logic had been forced from its midst. These innermost desires, when left to fester, had the power to destroy entire civilizations.

Or just one man.

This man was no exception.

He lay motionless upon the dry earth, his unblinking eyes roaming his dismal surroundings. _Again. _ When he wished a reprieve from the utter hopelessness he would allow his eyes to close and embrace the oblivion that was sleep, or simply prolonged unconsciousness. He wasn't sure which it was anymore.

'**You are worthless. Nothing. Useless.' **

He was expecting the voice this time. It always came at times like these. When he was contemplating the reason for his very existence. When even drawing in one more breath just seemed like one breath too many.

Then the voice would come.

Invading his consciousness. Laughing at his inability to run. His inability to deny the damning words. And just when the thought of ending the farce he called a life lingered, the voice would disappear.

Slip back soundlessly into the night as though it wished him to continue. To suffer, to recover, then inevitably return to desolation where assuredly the voice would be waiting.

Offering him an out.

Just not the one he wanted.

He wanted. . . well so many things. So much that it literally hurt. . .

'**When will you admit that I am the only way you will ever amount to anything?'**

Ignoring the ever-present voice, his gaze focused unwaveringly on the horizon, he welcomed the sun's slow descent in the sky. His thoughts provoked a shiver of pleasure that rocked his rigid frame to the core. He ignored the twinge of pain it brought with it, instead focusing on the momentary warmth surging through his limbs.

'**Weak!' **

_Quiet! _

He refused to allow him to ruin this moment. There was little he bothered to look forward to anymore. His life had become utterly monotonous long ago. A sickening ritual repeated daily with a finality that could rival death itself.

Once he'd longed for it. Craved leaving this world above all else. Above wealth. Above hope. Even above his never-ending yearn for power. But that desire had abruptly faded. It had disintegrated into nothingness the moment he saw her.

Skin as pale as moonlight on water, eyes rich and deep, with hair as black and flowing as the darkness that threatened to encompass his soul.

From that moment on he had been a man possessed. His every waking thought consumed with his new unholy obsession. So he waited.

The long lonely hours of the day seemed to drag by, but he was persistent. Eyes glued to the sliver of light, he watched, willing the woman to appear. Hoping to catch just a glimpse of her pristine white and crimson attire.

He gasped in mild surprise and overwhelming anticipation as a familiar shadow fell across his motionless form.

_Simply stunning. _

'**Absolutely delicious.' **

The man paused at the crude yet accurate description of the woman standing before him. _At least we agree on something_.

The personification of his thoughts seemed to float towards him, her footsteps a bare whisper upon the ground. Thinking for a moment that he had conjured her through sheer will alone, he barely registered her roaming fingers on his skin. A brief sigh escaped his lips.

She knelt beside him, seemingly all business, but her movements conveyed a gentle confidence that was absent in so many others. He could not take his eyes off of her. Even when she brought the dish of cool water to his parched lips for a satisfying drink.

'**You want her.' **It was not a question but a simply stated fact.

_More than anything. _

'**Then take her.' **

_Is that supposed to be a joke? _

'**No, I can give you the power to gain what you seek.'**

For once the man did not quiet the voice. Only allowed his words to drift through his mind in silence.

Her healing touches were over far too quickly. He groaned as her ministrations ceased. The woman rarely spoke, but this time he was treated to her melodic voice. It flowed over him like a lover's caress, though her words left him somewhat desolate. It meant that her visit was coming to a close.

"I will bring you more tomorrow."

_More. _Oh yes, he wanted so much more. He wanted more of her earthy scent. More of her gentle touch. More than the shell of a life he was being forced to endure. But for this he would need more power.

_**I can give you the power to gain what you seek. **_The proposition floated through his mind, and though he knew there must be more to this statement he was slowly beginning not to care what the price may be.

She rose as silently as she had entered. _She's leaving? Not yet! _ He wanted to call out for her, demand she not leave his side. _Ever. _As illogical as it sounded that was what he wanted more than anything else.

'**Powerless!' **

He cringed at the accurate accusation. He wanted this woman. _Needed her. _It was the look in her eyes. The sheer potential he saw there. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and powerful maidens to ever roam the plains of Musashi, but there was something else.

Something deep within his soul that let him know that this woman could understand him. _Would truly understand him given the right motivation. _

As if she sensed the direction of his thoughts her piercing gaze connected with his. She looked into his eyes as though she were seeing his very soul. And for a moment her eyes widened in frightened understanding.

_She can see it_, he realized. _She can see her fate._

A slow smile crept over his face, his muscles tensing from the strain. To her credit she did not run. She simply stared at him as though his antics were beneath her notice. A mild irritation.

She brushed her long hair over her shoulder and turned her back on him. The woman stood stiffly, her innate dignity compelling her to walk away. Her stride was purposeful, and he was forced to squint against the light of the setting sun, as she appeared almost ethereal bathed in its light. _A creature not quite of this world_.

Her voice rang out loud and clear, echoing around him in the coming night. "Keep such looks to yourself, Onigumo. I do not fear you."

He did not reply, his smile only growing as he watched Kikyou's lovely silhouette fade into the waning light.

Blood red eyes glowed in the yawning darkness, safe now that the miko had left their presence. The figure crept stealthily towards the prone man. '**Have you made your decision?' **

The injured bandit lay deep in thought for the first time weighing the consequences of the action he was considering. An image of the miko lingered in his mind. Calling him. _Enticing him. _

How she'd stood unafraid at the entrance, her crackling aura barely contained as the knowledge of his intentions bombarded her. Yet she had not fled. She had held her ground and dealt him a scathing glare worthy of the most regal hime.

The great priestess never showed her fear, only sheer determination and mild contempt. At that moment even the darkness of the cave had been held at bay, her pure soul radiating a light that even nature was unable to conquer.

And that alone made her worth it. Worthy of the irrevocable price the demon was sure to demand.

Worthy of him.

Onigumo raised glassy eyes to meet the youkai's fiery ones. "She will be mine," he ordered so forcefully that it took on the tone of a growl. The youkai simply smiled as it moved towards him, the feral statement echoing as it damned both him and the woman he craved. . .

**. . . ."Useless thoughts for an even more useless man. Learn your place and be quiet you fool!" **

The command was given so forcefully that it yanked Onigumo back from his wandering thoughts. _Have I been daydreaming again? How long this time? Minutes? Hours? _Hopefully it had been days.

If anyone had dared to tell him that one day he would think of his days of confinement as one of the fonder moments of his life he would have died of laughter. . . and then extended an invitation to the commenter to join him in death. . . permanently.

But as the years passed he'd soon realized that he would resort to anything to escape. Even for a moment. His thoughts were the only power he possessed anymore and sometimes even they were not his own.

The sound of laughter echoed through is mind, mocking him and the fading memory he had been clinging to. '**You always were worthless**. **To be thinking of such inconsequential things at such a momentous moment.' **

Onigumo would have rolled his eyes if he had control of them. Another of Naraku's "momentous occasions". They usually consisted of chasing the abrasive inu-hanyou or manipulating some fool not even worth mentioning.

'**Even you might be interested in this one.' **

_Oh how he hated that his thoughts were not his own. _Onigumo finally gave into his curiousity. _What the hell are you talking about? _He hoped Naraku's explanation would be quick as he did tend to ramble on when he felt he had created a foolproof plan.

To Onigumo's frustration the question only caused the laughter to increase as the voice, that damn everpresent voice, ignored him completely. _Hadn't he been humiliated enough? _

He had actually relished the feeling of power that had entered his body. Clung to it. Embraced it. Had given absolutely no resistance when it had attempted to take full reign. Had not even considered the possibility that he been manipulated until much too late. When his body no longer responded to his will and his voice had become nothing but a whisper.

Naraku had been right all along. _He had been a fool. _Succumbing to his darkest desire all those years ago only to watch more powerless than ever before as all he wished for slipped beyond his grasp.

Remnants of his will was all he had left and Naraku had been determined to take that from him as well. Ejected from his body into some unnatural newborn incarnation, Onigumo could do nothing but frequently remember that defining moment fifty years before.

Remember and watch in dawning horror as a familiar shadow fell across the earth.

'**You finally understand don't you?' **

Eyes wide with frightened understanding he watched as an avenging Kikyou crested the hill and fearlessly faced off his captor. He knew the reason for her misguided confidence. How she instinctively knew he could never truly harm her, had never wished her death those countless years ago.

So she stood poised yet relaxed as though sure any attack Naraku initiated would not be a fatal one.

A mistake he himself had been the root of. Always using his last bit of strength to stop Naraku from hurting the only thing he had left. But in hindsight he had begun to realize that it might have had nothing to do with his own will and more to do with manipulating his emotions.

What Naraku did best.

But a determined Kikyou was no small threat and obviously the problems she caused had begun to outweigh any perverted joy Naraku received from her presence.

Onigumo damned his own incompetence. Trapped. _Again. _In an altogether different yet even weaker body. _If only he could warn her. _Tell her that the creature she now faced thought less of her than the dirt beneath his feet. His mind screamed in rebellion. _Move! Run! Draw your bow damnit!_ But the woman stood maddeningly still.

'**Enough! **The heartless voice cut off his very thoughts. **Her fate is sealed. As is yours.' **

To his horror he saw history repeat itself. High above the bloodshed below, cradled in the wind witch's arms, he could do nothing but watch as the blow fell.

Piercing the unsuspecting miko through her delicate clay frame. She pitched backwards helplessly, forced by the momentum of the attack. Confusion was written clearly on her face as another man who claimed to love her sought to end her life.

Midnight hair flew free of its confinement, the riotous wind catching it as she began her descent.

Onigumo watched in despair and lingering respect as the mysterious woman fell as gracefully as she had lived. She didn't utter a sound and by some miracle her gaze found his high above the clifftops.

Those fathomless eyes gave him the same regal look of fifty years before. And though her lips did not move Onigumo knew her thoughts as though they were his own.

"Keep such looks to yourself, Onigumo. I do not fear death."

The courageous miko was much braver than he. Eyes shut in silent acceptance Kikyou plummeted into the sizzling miasma below.

Naraku's sickening laughter echoed through his consciousness as the truth swamped him. _Choked him. He had succeeded. _

In her last moment Kikyou had finally been able to understand him.

A second of clarity when she'd realized they were more alike than each had ever known. She had died not once, but twice, as alone as he had lived. Their entire lives and potential for greatness reduced to nothing but a distant memory to those they had left behind.

And in that moment Onigumo had a revelation of his own.

The damning knowledge of where he'd made his first mistake. _She _had been worthy of _him_? It was so ludicrous it was almost laughable.

It was he who had not been worthy of her.

_ Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing em. _


End file.
